Input devices including proximity sensor devices (also commonly called touchpads or touch sensor devices) are widely used in a variety of electronic systems. A proximity sensor device typically includes a sensing region, often demarked by a surface, in which the proximity sensor device determines the presence, location and/or motion of one or more input objects. Proximity sensor devices may be used to provide interfaces for the electronic system. For example, proximity sensor devices are often used as input devices for larger computing systems (such as opaque touchpads integrated in, or peripheral to, notebook or desktop computers, or as transparent sensor devices integrated with display screens to provide a touch screen interface).
In various usage scenarios involving force enabled touchpads and touchscreens, one or more user inputs (typically fingers) are used to control or modulate an interface action (on the display for example) based on the level of force imparted by the inputs. In this context, a modulated user interface parameter is any parameter that has a range of modulation (adjustment), or a gradient of continuous values or states that can be mapped versus applied force.
Presently known systems disclose using greater or lesser applied force to dynamically modulate various user interface elements such as scrolling, audio volume, zoom, audio/video fast forward/rewind, browser history review, and the like. These systems are lacking, however, in their ability determine when a force modulated action is complete; that is, current approaches cannot reliably convey to the system that the modulated parameter (e.g., scrolling, audio volume) has reached the desired level.
For example, when applied force from an input object dynamically controls zooming in and zooming out of an image, how does the user lock in or maintain the then current zoom level seen on the display screen? That is, how does a user inform the system that “this is the point of modulation I now wish to preserve for subsequent interaction”? If the user lifts his finger, the discontinuous change in force may default back to the original zoom level or perform some additional modulation that is not desired by the user. Previous solutions have employed “press and hold for a time out” and “quick press to confirm” techniques to lock in the desired level, but these approaches can be cumbersome and physically challenging.
Improved systems and methods are thus needed which satisfactorily address the foregoing shortcomings.